Indiana Pacers: NBA Restart 2020 Preview, Prediction, Picks

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the biggest surprises in the league this season and hope that continues when the NBA returns in July. 

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The Pacers were one of the most effective offensive teams in the league with a 47.7 percent shooting percentage from the field and 36.3 shooting percentage from deep. The Pacers were also top-10 in points allowed (107.4), field goal percentage allowed (44.8) and three point percentage allowed (34.5). While they don’t get the same love nationally as other NBA teams, the Pacers have been rather impressive this season.

Let’s give a quick breakdown of the Pacers remaining schedule and how the break impacts the squad moving forward as we gear up for NBA playoff basketball in Orlando. 

Remaining Pacers Schedule: vs. 76ers, Heat, Suns, Magic, Rockets, Kings, Clippers, Lakers

Roster Update: Jeremy Lamb obviously won’t be with the team after tearing his ACL in February, but he did resume walking back in April, so progress is being made on a return in the 2020-21 season. Malcolm Brogdon has recovered from his leg injury, but now he’s tested positive for Coronavirus, so there’s question if he’ll be ready to return to the team in time. Victor Oladipo has played very little basketball as he continues to recover from a torn quad and he wasn’t 100 percent in the little minutes he saw in March. If Oladipo plays, the Pacers are likely going to be very careful with his workload.

Help Or Hurt: The Pacers were dealing with injuries up and down their roster so you’d assume the break would help them out. The problem is while it allowed Brogdon to heal, he also caught the virus and now his playing status is up in the air. The break also prevented Oladipo from getting more consistent reps and building a rhythm as he works his way back to form. If the Pacers don’t have those two guys close to what they’re capable of, it is going to be a quick trip in Orlando for Indiana. The break hasn’t done much positive for the Pacers.

Potential Seeding: The Pacers are currently in the fifth seed, and they’re two games behind the Miami Heat for the fourth seed and share the same record with the Philadelphia 76ers. Realistically, the Pacers can end up anywhere from the fourth seed to the sixth seed. With home court no longer a question, the Pacers have to decide if they want to play the Boston Celtics, Heat or 76ers in the first round.

Odds: The Pacers have odds of +4000 to win the East and +10000 to win the NBA title. The Pacers are a gritty team that’s not going to go down quietly and they’re extremely well coached to be in this position despite a lack of top tier talent and injuries. However, the Pacers aren’t a threat to make a deep run without a healthy Oladipo on their side. Even if Oladipo plays, he’s likely going to be on a minute restriction and he won’t be the two-time All Star we’re used to seeing. The Pacers have zero value in the future betting market.